1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device, a method of manufacture thereof and an electronic apparatus.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-125401, filed Apr. 21, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, in electronic apparatuss such as notebook computers, mobile phones and electronic notes, display devices provided with an organic electroluminescent (hereafter called organic EL) element in correspondence with a picture element, such as an organic EL device, has been proposed as means for displaying information.
One of such organic EL devices is a passive matrix type (a simple matrix type) organic EL device. Generally, the passive matrix type organic EL device has a plurality of first electrodes formed into a strip extending in a predetermined direction on a substrate, a plurality of second electrodes into the belt shape directed in the direction perpendicular to the first electrodes, and an organic functional layer which is sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode from the top and the bottom in a crossing area. The organic functional layer includes a light-emitting layer which emits light when an electric current passes through the first electrode and the second electrode, and the passive matrix type organic EL device has a plurality of the organic functional layers including the light-emitting layer in correspondence with one pixel.
The second electrode of a passive matrix type organic EL device is generally formed with a vacuum evaporation method. In the vacuum evaporation method, as is shown, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H11-87063, the second electrodes are separated by providing a separator of a predetermined thickness between areas to have the second electrodes formed thereon, and vapor-depositing the second electrode material from a direction perpendicular or oblique to a substrate.
A display device having a striped electrode structure tends to cause a voltage drop in an extending direction of an electrode, which further causes the unevenness of a picture quality. In particular, a display device of increased size has an increased amount of an electric current passing through one electrode, so that the above tendency becomes strong.
The present invention was made with respect to the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an organic EL device which has a reduced voltage drop in an electrode and is preferably applicable to a substrate to be increased in size.